Data storage devices store and retrieve large amounts of data in a fast and efficient manner. A disc drive is a type of data storage device that often includes one or more data storage discs spun by a spindle motor at a constant high rotational speed.
Data storage and retrieval from the disc surfaces is effected by a rotary actuator assembly (sometimes referred to as a head stack assembly, or HSA). The HSA supports a number of data transducing heads that are controllably moved across the disc surfaces by an actuator motor (sometimes referred to as a voice coil motor, or VCM).
The spindle motor and the HSA are typically mounted to a base deck that cooperates with a top cover to provide a protected interior environment for the discs and heads. A printed circuit cable (PCC) provides the requisite electrical communication paths between the HSA and a data storage device printed circuit board (PCB) mounted to the exterior of the base deck. The PCB supports communication and control electronics for operation and control of the device.
The PCC includes a flex cable that has a flexible, laminated member that electrically isolates and supports a number of embedded electrical conductor paths along the length of the laminated member. Generally, one end of the flex cable is coupled to the PCB and the other end of the flex cable is coupled to the HSA.
An intermediary portion of the flex cable can operate as a dynamic loop (slack loop) that provides strain relief while the HSA moves the heads radially in close proximity to the disc surfaces. In practice, the flex cable loop can often act like a spring, exerting bias forces on the HSA as the slider heads are moved to different radial positions with respect to the disc surfaces. Resonances in the flex cable can also be induced during seek operations when the HSA moves a selected head from an initial track to a destination track. Various embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to an apparatus and method for attenuating resonances in a flex circuit, such as in a data storage device.